Photo: Yusuke Kawasaki / CC BY 2.0Open in Google Maps · Directions from your berth
Checked against official sources · updated · Takumi Yamada
Beppu's sand bath is the unusual one: a beach of hot-spring-heated sand in the Kamegawa district, and the closest bath to the cruise pier. Beppu's official tourism site describes the Sand SPA, inside the TKP Shonin Park complex, as a place to relax by the sea. The beach is much closer to the ship than the hells at Kannawa.
The method, in the tourism site's words: you lie down and an attendant, called a sunakake-san, covers you with warm sand using a tool called a joren. The damp sand's weight is described as comforting, your body gradually warms, and with your eyes shut you hear the waves and feel the sea breeze. Afterwards the outside air feels especially refreshing. Staff will take a commemorative photo of you half-buried if you ask. A dedicated yukata and towels are provided, and showers, shampoo, soap and hair dryers are on site.
The catch is the price and the formula. At ¥2,500 it costs more than the sand bath at Takegawara (¥1,500, in the town centre, covered in this site's Takegawara guide), you do not get Takegawara's historic bathhouse, and the page gives no burial time. It is also closed on two irregular days a month, so check the facility before you go. Skip it if you want the historic bathhouse, or if the ship's all-aboard leaves less than three hours ashore.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Check the closed days before you go. The page says closures are irregular, twice a month, and does not list the dates.
- The yukata, bath towel and face towel are included in ¥2,500, and the page lists showers, shampoo, soap and hair dryers on site.
- The page lists tattoos as allowed.
- Pair it with lunch at Toyoken, 10 minutes from the pier on foot, and make the bath the second stop.
- Last entry is 17:30 from November to March, so on a winter call plan for an early start.
A dedicated yukata and towels are provided, and showers, shampoo, soap and hair dryers are on site.
Guided days from Beppu
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
More in Beppu
Questions people ask here
How do you get from the Beppu cruise port to the sand bath?
On foot it is about 1.4 km and about 20 minutes on OpenStreetMap routing, or about 1.9 km by taxi: a short ride of roughly ¥1,000 by our calculation from the official tariff.
How much is the Beppu beach sand bath?
¥2,500 for an adult and ¥1,800 for ages 6–12, including a special yukata, a bath towel and a face towel, on the Beppu tourism site (information as of 30 Jun 2026). Under-6s cannot use it.
Is it better than Takegawara Onsen?
They are different. Takegawara is a municipal bathhouse in town with a ¥1,500 sand bath, and the beach one is by the sea at ¥2,500 with everything included. On a short call the beach is closer to the ship.